Dry-cleaning machine



J. J. HOERGER.

DRY CLEANING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AuG.14. I916.

Patented Mar. 30, 1920.

I 73/ u erolo 1'.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN J. HOERGER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR T0 TROY LAUN DRY MACHINERY- COMPANY, LTD., OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

Application filed August 14, 1916.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN J. Honuenn, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Dry- (leaning Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates in general to dry cleaning machines. and more particularly to means for preventing injury resulting from the accidental explosions which sometimes occur in such machines.

A convenient and eflicient mode of dry cleaning articles is to place them in a rotary cylinder which is supported in a tank or shell containing gasolene, or other cleansing fluid. The machines used for this purpose are provided with outwardly opening doors in the shell and cylinder, through which the articles are inserted and removed, the positions of the doors being such as to be most conveniently accessible to the operator. The use of such machines is, however. open to the serious objection that explosions sometime occur which blow open the door of the shell and injure the operator, or any other person in the vicinity of the machine, and also set fire to adjacent objects, or the building.

The primary object of my invention is to provide a dry cleaning machine, the use of which will not result in injury to persons or property should accidental explosions occur therein.

A further object of my inventionis to provide a dry cleaning machine having a supplemental door which, in case of an explosion, will open and direct the blast away from the space occupied by the operator, or where other persons are likely to be present.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a dry cleaning machine which will be simple in construction, safe in use, and efficient in operation.

My invention is more fully disclosed hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawing in which the same is illustrated as embodied in a convenient and practical form, and in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view; and Fig. .2, is a cross-sectional view on a smaller scale.

Similar reference characters are used in the drawings to designate similar parts.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Mar. 30, 1920- Serial No. 114,790.

Reference letter A designates the shell or tank of the machine which comprises end walls, or heads, as indicated at A around which is secured the cylindrical wall composed, for instance, of wooden staves. Rotatably supported within the tank A is a cylinder B for containing the articles to be cleaned, such cylinder being provided with a door 7) and with concentric outwardly projecting trunnions b on its ends, which project through and arerotatably supported by the heads A of the tank.

The tank A is provided with a door 0 through which access may be had to the interior of the tank, and also to the interior of the cylinder B when the door 1) thereof is brought into register with the door C of the tank. 0 and 0 designate hinges for supporting the upper edge of the door C adjacent the top of the tank, as by means of one of the staves a The door'C may be provided with a handle 0 for raising same, and is also provided with suitable means for retaining it in closed position, such, for instance, as fastening devices al and d of any desired construction.

Any suitable driving mechanism is pro vided for rotating the cylinder B, such, for

v instance, as a belt pulley D.

E designates a supplemental cover for the tank A, which is so supported as to open freely should an explosion occur within the tank. The supplemental door E is preferably supported by hinges c at its upper edge. such hinges being conveniently secured to the stave a of the tank.

Supported upon the tank A, intermediate the hinged edges of the doors C and E, are stops for supporting the door C in open position and for preventing the supplemental'door E from remaining in open position. I have shownsuch stops as each comprising an angular bracket F, the lower portion of which is secured to the stave a and the'upper end f of which serves as a rest for the 'door C when itis open. Projecting from each of the brackets F is a stop f which projects slightly over the hinged edge of the door E, so that the latter will be prevented from assuming such an open position that it will remain open.

The operation and manner of using my improved dry cleaning machine are as follows: The cleansing fluid, such, for instance as gasolene or naphtha, is placed in the tank l A to a desiredlevel. The articles to be the tank an 7 5 cleaned are then placed within the cylinder B through the doors C and b which are, of course, opened for such purpose. .The doors 6 and C are then closed and the latter fastened in closed positions, after which the power is applied to rotate the cylinder B and thereby subject the articles contained in ifzihedcylinder to the action of the cleansing "Should an explosion of the cleansing fluid occur, the supplemental door E will at once open, thereb relieving the pressure within directing the blast away from the side of the machine at which is located the door C. The supplemental door E therefore directs the blast away from the position likely to be occupied by the operator or other persons. Furthermore, the position of the machine is preferably such that the rear side thereof is adjacent a fire-proof surface, so that in the event of an explosion the door Ejwill direct the blast against such surface and thereby avoid setting fire to any adjacent object, or to the building.

From the foregoing description it will be observed that I have invented an improved dry cleaning machine, the operation of which will be free from any danger of injury either to the operator, or other persons in the vicinity of the machine, or to propert l hat I claim is:

. In a dry cleaning machine, the combination with a tank for containing the cleaning fluid, of a door for ermitting access to the interior of said tanli means for retaining said door in closed position, an outwardly opening supplemental door for said tank, means for pivotally supporting said doors adjacent the longitudinal center of the top of said tank, and means mounted upon said tank intermediate of the pivoted edges of said doors for supporting said first door in open position and for preventing said second door remaining open.

In testimony whereof, I have subscribed my name.

JOHN J. HOERGER. 

